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Economic Interests and the American Constitution: A Quantitative Rehabilitation of Charles A. Beard

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  • McGuire, Robert A.
  • Ohsfeldt, Robert L.

Abstract

An important change in the structure of U.S. institutions occurred when the government under the Articles of Confederation was replaced by a new government under the Constitution. In 1913, Charles A. Beard proposed a view of the formation of the United States Constitution—an economic interpretation—that remains a much discussed yet unresolved explanation of the behavior and motives of the men who wrote the document. This paper provides the first rigorous statistical test of this issue. We summarize the preliminary results of a statistical analysis of the relationship between the voting behavior of individual delegates involved in the making of the Constitution and their economic and personal characteristics. Contrary to current historical wisdom, significant patterns related to economic interests are found in the voting, with the division of interests generally consistent with that outlined by Charles A. Beard seventy years ago.

Suggested Citation

  • McGuire, Robert A. & Ohsfeldt, Robert L., 1984. "Economic Interests and the American Constitution: A Quantitative Rehabilitation of Charles A. Beard," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(2), pages 509-519, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:44:y:1984:i:02:p:509-519_03
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    Cited by:

    1. George Crowley, 2012. "Spatial dependence in constitutional constraints: the case of US states," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 134-165, June.
    2. Paul D. Carlsen & Jac C. Heckelman, 2016. "State bloc versus individual delegate voting at the constitutional convention: Did it make a difference?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(3), pages 781-800, January.
    3. John Lovett, 2010. "Economic Interest behind the 1st Nationalist Movement: 1783," Working Papers 201006, Texas Christian University, Department of Economics.
    4. Keith Dougherty & Jac Heckelman, 2008. "Voting on slavery at the Constitutional Convention," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 293-313, September.

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